If you have a student in college or bound for college this fall, be sure to send in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form as soon as possible. This form must be filed if you want your youngster to be eligible for federal and state financial aid. It can’t be sent in before the first of the year but the sooner that it’s submitted, the better.
College financial aid may be awarded by some colleges on first-come, first-served basis so it makes sense to get to the front of the line. If you wait too long, the school may be out of money for grants and scholarships, forcing you to take out loans instead.
Therefore, filing the FAFSA should be a priority. Start by getting the FAFSA application, which is available at the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site, http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
